Olympics

Hi! Because I'm so on time and punctual when it comes to blogging (sarcasm) I'm just now posting about the Olympics! Yay! So in this post I will show you my favorite moments and athletes. Most of them are gymnastics, because that's like, the only sport I watch. But don't worry, there's others too.

So, first I'll start off with the opening ceremony.  I really liked it- it had a very British feel to it, but it was also, I don't know, a little un-exotic? But that might be because American and British culture are similar in some ways. I mean they are just right across the pond. They also speak the same language as us, so maybe that has something to do with it. Anyways, it was the first time I watched an Olympic Opening Ceremony all the way through- it was so much fun! I'm planning to do that with every other opening ceremony that I live to see. On top you can see a collage of some of the highlights of the opening ceremony, including the UK walking into the track, the flags, the medieval villages in Britain, the British soldiers, and the Olympic rings.

Now for the athletes! Let's start with gymnastics!

Man, I love gymanstics! I wish I was an Olympic gymnast- but I think my nerves would get to me. And I'm too tall. (Anything above 5'2 is considered too tall, depressing right?) Anyways, I really loved watching all of the Fierce/Fab Five compete. Everyone of them was unique and amazing! In the collage above I have 13 mixed photos of all of them! From top left going clockwise around: Kyla Ross, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, all 5 with their gold, Jordyn Wieber, Gabby Douglas, Kyla Ross, Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney, Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, all 5 when they found out the won gold, and in the middle is all 5 with their gold. My favorite moments of the games include the team final and the floor final. Aly Raisman is my favorite gymnast from the team and I loved watching her on floor. She had a fantastic floor routine with fantastic music she just lit up that whole darn stadium! It was pretty fantastic!

I really hope I get to see Kyla Ross at Rio in 2016. She is a fabulous gymnast and very artistic, and being only 15 at this Olympics, I think she could definitely be a strong member in 2016. What do you think?

One of my other favorite moments would have to be watching Goksu Uctas on beam. She is the only Turkish gymnast ever to compete in the games and said that just being there was a dream. While she didn't win any medals, it was a joy to watch someone come to the Olympics because they loved their sport, not because they wanted to win anything.

Another great moment was watching Kirani James and Oscar Pistorius compete in 400-meter race. Oscar Pistorius is a South African leg amputee who is competing in this year's Olympics and Paralympics. After this race, Grenadine Kirani James and Oscar Pistorius changed name tags, a sign of respect and sportsmanship. I thought this was amazing! This is what the Olympics are about- (besides medals and all that jazz) sportsmanship and world peace. :-)

Oh, and who can forget the good queen and Mr. Bond. Quite spectacular wouldn't you say? 

While there were many other great moments, these were some of the scenes that stood out to me the most. What were some of your favorite Olympic moments?

~Margaux

ps. Please vote on my sidebar where you think the 2020 games should be! The three choices are actually the three real cities that are vying for a chance to host that 2020 Olympic Games!

NOTE: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE PHOTOS SHOWN IN THIS POST!

Baby Name Tuesday: Week 4

Hello, hello, hello! Here is a long overdue baby name Tuesday week 4 post! It's been over a month since I lasted posted one of these fun name posts and I am getting back in the swing of things. This week, I have planned out an Olympic post (can you believe it's been a month since the opening ceremony) and hopefully my Florida pics will be posted as well.

Anyways, today I'm going to do a baby name game! Have you ever heard one of these? Well there are many types. Some include creating a mini life (like MASH) or basing an entire family off of a photo of a house, but today I'm going to do a simpler one- this game you have no control over on the outcome. It's all about your birthday! It's easy- find the girl name and the boy name that corresponds with your birth month (the first name) and your birth date (the middle name). Have fun!

Girls' Names

month (first name):

January = Joyce

February = Flavia

March = Minerva

April = Astra

May = Mirabel

June = Jolie

July = Juliet

August = Arabella

September = Stella

October = Olga

November = Nell

December = Diana

date (middle name):

01 = Amica

02 = Coco

03 = Ruby

04 = Stephanie

05 = Mina

06 = Quinn

07 = Itzel

08 = Katniss

09 = Madeleine

10 = Tuesday

11 = Prima

12 = Rebecca

13 = Magnolia

14 = Pearl

15 = Wren

16 = Primrose

17 = Josephine

18 = Elaine

19 = Dahlia

20 = Amelia

21 = Molly

22 = Nina

23 = Nylah

24 = Cora

25 = Thisbe

26 = Musetta

27 = Ophelia

28 = Hazel

29 = Elizabeth

30 = Karina

31 = Savannah

Boys' Names

month (first name):

January = Jagger

February = Fox

March = Maverick

April = Adriano

May = Miguel

June = Johan

July = José

August = Alastair

September = Silvano

October = Octavio

November = Nolan

December = Declan

date (middle name):

01 = Alvin

02 = Caesar

03 = Remy

04 = Espen

05 = Mackenzie

06 = Ryan

07 = Payton

08 = Teagan

09 = Atticus

10 = Aubrey

11 = Fidel

12 = Rhett

13 = Logan

14 = Hendrix

15 = Christopher

16 = Cullen

17 = Thurston

18 = Wolf

19 = Jack

20 = Gabriel

21 = Potter

22 = Isaac

23 = Evan

24 = Liam

25 = Emerson

26 = Cedro

27 = Micah

28 = Noah

29 = Bruno

30 = Robin

31 = Charles

My birthday is December 15 so my names are Diana Wren and Declan Christopher. So, what did you get? I would love to know!

~Margaux

Favorite Quotes from Harry Potter (part 2)

Hello all! I'm very sorry for the hiatus, I would give you excuses, but quite frankly, I don't think you all would want to hear them. Anywho, here are the rest of my favorite quotes from my favorite series! Enjoy!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Sirius Black: We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are.
Phineas Nigellus: You know, Minister [Cornelius Fudge], I disagree with Dumbledore on many counts...but you cannot deny he's got style...
Dumbledore: Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.
Luna Lovegood: Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect.
Ron: From now on, I don't care if my tea leaves spell 'Die, Ron, Die,' I'm chucking them in the bin where they belong.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Fred and George's Advertisement: Why are you worrying about YOU-KNOW-WHO, when you should be worrying about YOU-NO-POO? The constipation sensation that's gripping the nation!
Minerva McGonagall: Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world.
Dumbledore: I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me... Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Dumbledore: Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?
Dumbledore: Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love.
Kingsley Shacklebolt: We're all human, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving.
Fred: For instance, this new idea that You-Know-Who can kill with a single glance from his eyes. That’s a basilisk, listeners. One simple test: Check whether the thing that’s glaring at you has got legs. If it has, it’s safe to look into its eyes, although if it really is You-Know-Who, that’s still likely to be the last thing you ever do.

I hoped you enjoyed this! More posts coming soon!
~Margaux

Going on a Trip...

Hello! Tomorrow, my family and I are going to Florida! It's about a 8-10 hour drive so you can expect no posts from me tomorrow. However, I will try to post a little throughout the week. I probably won't continue my Harry Potter quote posts until I return next Saturday. I am taking my camera and will definitely try to take photos on everything that I do. Expect a Florida-filled post soon!

Also, I have a poll on the sidebar, I would really appreciate if you would please cast a vote. Thanks!
~Margaux

Favorite Quotes from Harry Potter (part 1)

Hello! I have to say- I am quite brilliant! Excuse me for being arrogant, but I like to think that I came up  with quite a fun idea. How about I list some of my favorite quotes from each Harry Potter novel (my favorite book series) and then the films? I really, truly love Harry Potter and I think this would be a great way to share my favorite series with my good 'ole readers. Enjoy!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone
Dumbledore: What happened down in the dungeon between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret. So, naturally, the whole school knows.
Dumbledore: It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends.
George Weasley: I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid-we know we're called Gred and Forge.
J.K. Rowling: There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Dumbledore: It is our choices, Harry, that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
Moaning Myrtle: Oh well... I'd just been thinking, if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet.
Harry: Of all the trees we could've hit, we had to pick one that fights back.
Fred and George: Make way for
the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through ......



Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The Marauders Map: Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business.
Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git.
Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor.
Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball.
Cornelius Fudge: Why, dear boy, we don't send wizards to Azkaban just for blowing up their aunts.
Dumbledore: A child's voice, however honest and true, is meaningless to those who've forgotten how to listen.
Hermione: They [wizards] see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Sirius Black: If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.
Dumbledore: Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it.
Dumbledore: Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.
J.K Rowling: It is a strange thing, but when you are dreading something, and would give anything to slow down time, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up.
Ron: Percy wouldn't notice a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing one of Dobby's tea cozies.

I hope you liked this post! I will continue with the last three books tomorrow or later this week. What are some of you favorite Harry Potter quotes from the first four books?
~Margaux
ps. Feel free to do a post like this on your own blog, whether it's about Harry Potter or another book series- I would love to read it!

Caroline Abbott...

Hey! Here is a post with all of my thoughts about AG's new character, Caroline Abbott.

First off, let's start with the positives. One, I really like her eye color- personally I think it would look good with all hair colors and it really compliments her pink dress- especially the sash. Second, as much as I'm upset that AG stopped with their tradition of ending Historical Character dates with "4" (1944, 1864, etc.) I really like that AG is introducing to girls to the War of 1812. It's often overlooked in America's history and (hopefully) her books will provide another great history lesson for younger girls. Third, her toy and bag and dress look historically accurate.


Now for the negatives. PINK! Why? Marie-Grace and Addy both come in a pink dress, as well as all MAG dolls and Bitty Babys. Personally, I think Caroline would look great in green or blue or even yellow. Another point that  a Facebook user commented on was that her meet dress looks a lot like Felicity's Summer Dress? And you know what? She's right! It's the EXACT same pattern, just with a different sash and color palette. Ugh... I hate that pink.

Another point, people are probably complaining about her un-originalness. I just want to to address a few points that will hopefully make it more understood.

1. American Girl could not create and African-American doll. Most African-Americans in her time period were enslaved that time, so AG probably didn't want to create a second enslaved character. 
2. While many people are upset about her color hair, AG really had no other choice. They couldn't give her dark hair as Cecile and Marie-Grace were just released with dark hair, McKenna has caramel hair, and they couldn't make her a red head because she is already taking Felicity's "spot" (as well as her summer dress) and they didn't want the two to be to similar. 

What do you think? More posts coming soon

~Margaux